After sitting vacant since 2023, Springdale’s Veterans Memorial Field will have a new occupant next spring.
Springdale Council approved use of the field by Lower Valley Little League’s 120 youth athletes for its games and practices starting next season.
The organization currently plays at neighboring Lampus Field but recently experienced the “good problem” of growth, according to league President Andrew Parker.
After the addition of a youth softball program, Parker said the league added about 30 new kids to its ranks this year and had been looking for a new space.
Though Veterans Field is better known for its gridiron, the complex also includes a large baseball field. Parker said he is “excited for the opportunity” to use the space and continue to expand the organization.
Parker said Lower Valley, which enrolls children 4 years old to 12, would continue to use Lampus Field and other local practice fields even while it migrates some of its players to Veterans Field next season.
The borough’s approval comes amid discussions about the uncertain future of the field, which was left vacant after unsuccessful lease negotiations between the borough and Allegheny Valley School District. The Dynamos had played football at the site for more than 80 years.
In the meantime, the district has begun construction of a new turf field near Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School to serve as a home for its football, soccer and track and field teams.
Springdale Councilman Joe Kern said the “worst thing” would be for the field to remain unused as the borough determined next steps. He said he helped put the league in contact with Springdale’s new borough manager, Terry Carcella, to avoid a continued vacancy
“I think it’s good to let the community use it while we figure out what to do,” he said.
But some details still need to be ironed out, Carcella said.
Less than a month on the job, the manager said he and Springdale Public Works would have to meet with Lower Valley to talk about potential improvements to bathroom facilities and the baseball diamond.
The borough, Carcella said, would continue to maintain the area, however.
A leaning wall near the field’s bleachers, the seeming cause of the dispute between the school district and borough, remains unrepaired. Carcella said there are no plans in place to restore it.
